Need You Now
by L Jerome
Summary: -Written for a prompt- Coming across Loki as they heading home that night from dinner was the last thing Steve Rogers and Tony Stark had expected. Finding him pregnant and in labor...even more so. Mpreg birth scene, no pairings, possible ooc, slight angst and fluff, one-shot


**-FILLED FOR A PROMPT**-

**So basically the prompt was that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers get stuck with a heavily pregnant and laboring Loki and are given no choice but to deliver Loki's baby... How could I resist this golden opportunity?! :) I've been wanting to write mpreg!Loki ever since I learned about Sleipnir.  
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**If you don't know who that is, Sleipnir is an eight legged horse that belongs to Odin. And Loki is its mother. That's right. Norse mythology was all into mpreg. :)  
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**(Go see Thor now and watch yourself grin like a fool when Sleipnir comes on-screen... XD  
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**You'll have to forgive any OOC that may come up, (I seriously tried not to write any) but I've only seen Capt. America, Thor and The Avengers. Never seen the Iron Man movies... I know I'm a terrible person... So if Tony's a little ooc, please know I tried.  
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**Also proud of the first that I finished this in two days! Usually these one-shots take me several weeks so I'm more than a little pleased with myself for that. And there's plot! Woohoo!  
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**I did make a little adjustment in that in the orginal mythology, Loki gives Sleipnir to Odin as a gift; where in my story, Sleipnir has been forcibly taken away from him leaving him fearful of bringing forth another life. Oh hello angst; where did you come from?!  
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**So to the anon prompter who started this brain child, I hope this story is to your liking. :)  
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**Hope you enjoy!**

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He had only himself to blame for getting into this...

Well at least him and Steve.

After all, it was Steve's idea to go get shawarma that evening for dinner, which he couldn't resist. Coming across Loki in an abandoned alleyway while on the way back to STARK Tower was the last thing they had expected.

Finding him heavily pregnant and in labor was even more of a shocker.

Needless to say, Loki's reaction was about right when he saw them coming towards him; taking several violent, yet hardly controlled swings at the two of them and managing to land a blow with a nearby wooden beam and dislocate Steve's shoulder. Thankfully the pregnancy had left Loki (much to their relief) unable to use his magic to its full extent so it didn't take much for the two of them to bring him under control. But as Loki curled in pain at their feet and showing himself to be nearing the final phase of labor, the discussion soon arose over what would be done with him.

Had it been up to him, Tony would have left him there to deal with the delivery of the child in his own way. But Steve, being who he was, was not going to allow himself to leave Loki in such a delicate condition (even if he did mass murder and wrench his shoulder from its socket...) So after much arguing and deliberation, it was agreed that they would take the laboring Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D. Central, get the child delivered, and then decide what to do from there.

Admittedly it was a good plan...until the elevator stopped...leaving a rather uncomfortable setting for the three men as they waited for it to start moving again. And as the minutes ticked on, Tony was becoming more and more uncomfortable with the possibility that they may not make it there in time.

Thirty minutes in and they had settled for Loki sitting on the floor letting out moans increasing in volume as the contractions increased in intensity, Rogers sitting on the other side watching him like a hawk, and Stark nervously pacing the length of the elevator which only manages to be about two steps.

"Feels different from the last time..." mumbled Loki finally from his seat, gently running his hand across his mound of a belly.

"Last time?!" Tony nearly squeaked as he stopped pacing. "So childbirth's a regular thing for you guys on Asgard?" he joked, thinking that he'd have to question Thor on this later.

"It's a long story; shape-shifting, apples, an eight legged foal...you know how it goes." he replied sarcastically.

"Wait a minute... You mean this kid might be an animal?!" But there was no response from Loki, only a scream of unbearable pain as another contraction wracked his body.

That was enough for Steve. He couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. "Listen to me Loki..." Steve said he moved over next to him. "I know it's hard but you've got to try to breathe through it." He added, offering his hand. Under normal circumstances, he would have pushed the soldier away. But at this point, he decided he didn't care and grabbed hold, squeezing for dear life. If it was hurting, Steve didn't show it; trying to encourage Loki to breathe through the contraction as the tips of his fingers gradually turned from red to white. And as idiotic as he felt doing this Midgardian 'breathing', he did seem to make it through this latest contraction in better shape than he had so far.

He managed to give Steve a weak smile. "Thank you..."

"No problem." he smiled back, surprised at Loki's sudden gratitude.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" Tony asked.

"My mom had 6 kids and I was the oldest." Steve replied, taking his sleeve and wiping away the sweat that had built on Loki's forehead. "Most kids in my era were born at home so I think it's safe to say I picked up a few things along the way."

"Not bad Rogers." he replied, slightly relieved that at least someone knew somewhat what they were doing. His attention was quickly brought back to Loki though as the Jötunn's hands grabbed Steve's in a death grip, not even caring now as he struggled to pant.

"Another one?"

He quickly nodded, curling in on himself as he gave a slight push. "It's not hanging around..."

"Oh dear god..." Tony said as the color started to drain from his face. "Cross your legs!"

"Get a hold of yourself Stark!" Steve snapped. "Last thing we need is for _you_ to freak out. Besides, that doesn't even work... We're gonna need your jacket." he said as he struggled to get his own off his shoulders.

"What for?"

"I've been keeping track and his contractions are less than two minutes apart. So unless you can shoot this elevator up twenty floors, this baby's coming here and now."

Of all the times not to have the suit...

"You're going to have to deliver the baby." was the next thing out of Steve's mouth. And all calm that Tony had managed to harness to that point was thrown out the window along with Loki's.

"That Migardian isn't getting anywhere near my child!" Loki growled as the next contraction hit hard on the heels of the last one.

"I agree with him!" Tony shrieked. "I can't deliver a baby; I haven't even been within ten feet of one! Why can't you do it?! You're the one with the experience!"

"I would if my right arm wasn't completely useless!" Steve shouted, surprising the other two with his sudden outburst and plunging the elevator into silence, sans Loki's breathing. Taking a deep breath, he tried to regain his composure. "Look, I don't like this anymore than you do. Delivering a Norse god's baby isn't exactly my idea of a 'fun' evening. But we can't just stand here and do nothing. Now give me your jacket..."

As much as he didn't like that fact, he knew Steve was right. Resentfully, he removed his jacket while Steve moved to take off Loki's as well to place it under him before removing the lower part of his clothing; Loki giving no resistance this time at the feeling of his touch. Placing his jacket over Loki's legs to at least give him some dignity, he motioned to Tony that he needed to take a look to see how far along he was. Somewhere, Loki thought to protest this, but the waves of pain that he was riding made all thought of that disappear as he instinctively shifted his legs further apart to make room for the coming babe. It took several more motions from Steve, each more forceful than the last, before he resigned himself to what needed to be done. Tentatively, Tony managed to take a look under the jacket to check on progress and trying very hard not to stare at the borrowed organs that Loki had taken on to bring the child forth.

"Can you see anything?" Steve asked.

"God, that's just wrong..." was the response.

"Stark, focus! Can you see anything?" he asked again.

"No. Nothing."

"I've..gotta..push!" Loki growled, not caring about anything else as he suddenly grabbed hold of his knees and pushed down hard, a cry escaping his lips as something started shifting downward. Somewhere in the distance, he could sense Steve moving him forward to aid in pushing while encouraging him to keep going. Every once in a while however, he did manage to catch a glimpse of the color further draining from Tony's face while desperately trying to avoid looking at his nether-regions at all cost. If he had to go through this pain, better to keep someone uncomfortable while doing it. He nearly smiled from the irony of it all. And that was the way it went with the three; Steve bending Loki in half with each push with Tony checking down below while looking for anything to emerge; be it a head, a hoof or a paw...lord knows what they were going to do if it was one of the other two. So when a crown of dark black hair began to make its appearance, there was more than a little relief that it appeared to be of human form.

Still it was more than what Tony was ready for. "Holy s***, there's a head!" he exclaimed.

"You think I didn't know that?!" Loki snapped before giving another hard shove, strands of his black hair now plastered to his forehead from sweat. Minutes later he let out a curdling scream at the feeling of his body lighting on fire. "It's burning!" he shrieked.

"Head's starting to crown." Steve realized. "You've got to stop pushing."

"You do this and see how you like it when someone tells you that..." he growled as his grip tightened further on Steve's hand, but managing to shift the push to panting.

"Tony, listen to me." Steve instructed next. "You need to take your hand and just put gentle pressure on the baby's head so it comes out nice and easy. We can't afford for him to tear."

_'It was bad enough to look and now he's expecting me to touch it?'_ he thought to himself. Loath as he was to do it, Tony managed a nod and did as he said, cupping the tiny infant's head in his palm as with each breath more would appear. Loki's breathing seemed to grow in intensity as muscles were stretched to their widest limit until he could no longer hold back and bore down hard, forcing the rest of the head out to a loud shout.

"We got a head!" Steve said excitedly as he leaned forward to see; and Loki wishing that he hadn't.

"Thank you...Captain Obvious..." was all he could say, trying to catch his breath and thankful for the sudden relief of pressure.

As Steve moved over to Tony to help check for a cord and to give further instructions, Loki's head rested in the corner of the wall, his eyes shut as he tried to steady his breathing. Only a little more and it would be over. His child would be here. But then what? He hadn't planned for this possibility when he came back to Earth. He had been running for so long but now... The thought that next entered his head was terrifying. So much so that when he felt Steve shift back next to him and the familiar urge rising, the reply of "No. No more..." was more than a little surprising to the other two men.

"Come on Loki. You've got to push." Steve encouraged.

"No... I refuse..." he moaned.

"Loki..."

"No!" he cried, thrashing his head back and forth violently as the contraction reached its peak. "I won't let them take another one from me!"

Loki's outburst took them both by surprise. He had heard of pregnant women reaching this point before, but this reaction was unheard of. "What do mean 'take another one'? No one's taking this baby from you."

"They'll come for it..." he managed to choke out between tears. "Like they took Sleipnir... I can't...I can't lose another one..."

And then it all made sense as Steve's eyes connected with Tony's. The reason they found him in that alleyway, the reason he had fought to get away from them... He wasn't running from punishment. He had run from Asgard for the sake of the child and now he feared it being taken away like its brother. As long as he was convinced of that, there was nothing doing and the child needed to be delivered soon.

"Give me your hand." Tony finally spoke up, the first words he had directly spoken to Loki since he started pushing.

"What?"

"Just shut up and give me your hand."

Reluctantly he did so, not understanding what the multi-millionaire was getting at until he felt his hand being pressed against a solid mass. Realizing his hand was against the crown of the babe's head, he gently allowed his fingers to explore the tiny features and the hair that was already grown thick on the top of its head while the rest remained inside him. His heart felt it would burst at the sensation; the emotions running through him absolutely overwhelming. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He had fought the idea of keeping the child for so long, resigning himself to the fact that he'd lose the child anyway so he shouldn't allow himself to become attached. But feeling this tiny face under his fingers, finally connecting with this being that had been kicking inside him the past several months, he could no longer deny how much he wanted this baby. In truth, as much as he would never admit it aloud, he wanted it so bad that it hurt. And judging from the hot tears streaming down his cheeks, they could tell that anyway.

"I know you're scared." Tony said calmly, more focused now than he had ever been. "But this kid needs you now more than anything to get it here and I swear they'll have to get through all of S.H.I.E.L.D. if they even attempt to take it from you."

For the first time, Loki's eyes seemed to have a glimmer of hope. The child he had wanted since Sleipnir; he could have a chance to raise it. "Do you swear it?" he swallowed; his eyes staring deep into Tony's.

Firmly he nodded. "On my life."

That seemed to do it. Nodding, somewhere inside him he seemed to find the strength and with new determination pushed as hard as he could as the next contraction started. A mangled cry escaped his throat as he felt shoulders trying to shift their way free. He fell back in Steve's arms, exhausted.

"Come on; push harder." he could hear Steve saying.

"I ca...I can't..."

"Yes you can." came Tony's voice this time, the head gently clasped in his hands.. "You're the freakin' god of mischief. Now push!"

Somehow that seemed to work, because with another hard push, one shoulder slipped free, quickly followed by the other as the rest moved so quickly into Tony's hands that he nearly dropped it.

The next few moments were a blur as Loki struggled for breath. The delivery had left him completely exhausted and with the limited use of his magic he was still extremely weak. The shrill sound of a cry was the first thing that he registered. Forcing his eyes open, he managed to focus on the thing in Tony's hands; a squirming, crying, tiny baby girl.

"Noisy little thing, isn't she?" Tony said with a wide grin; Loki ignoring all insults as she was laid on his chest while being covered in Steve's over-shirt. He hardly noticed anything else going on around him as his green eyes studied the tiny figure crying in his arms.

"Looks a lot like you doesn't she?" Steve was the first to comment. Indeed, the likeness was almost uncanny; sharing his jet black hair and porcelain skin. Time would tell if she'd also inherited his green eyes, but she was for all intents and purposes the spitting image of her father.

"She...she's beautiful." he breathed, letting her hand grab hold of his finger. The sense of his returning magic seemed to calm her as her cries slowly turned to little noises. It was at that moment that the elevator seemed to lurch back into life; the three of them sensing the motion as it proceeded to move up the last floors.

Tony seemed annoyed. "You couldn't have done that ten minutes earlier?!" he shouted at the ceiling, before shrugging it off. No use in dwelling on it while three of the now four elevator inhabitants still required medical attention. Thankfully, it was almost over. "You know, you owe me." he pointed at Loki. "I'm seriously going to need therapy for this one."

He gave a slight nod. "Indeed. Salme and I are eternally grateful for all the two of you have done."

"Salme?"

"You do not think I'd let her go through life without a name do you?"

"No I guess not." Tony grinned, smiling wider as she started sucking her fist for all it was worth. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the kid was kid of cute. "You just wait, she's going to be a heart-breaker when she grows up."

Loki didn't seem to appreciate that possibility as he held her closer to his chest. If looks alone could have killed, Stark would have been dead several times over.

"If you so much as even think of teaching her about that..."

-THE END-


End file.
